Cristian Romero names Liverpool Virgil van Dijk as the best defender in the Premier League presently
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Argentine centre-back Cristian Romero named Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk as the Premier League’s best defender currently. The 24-year-old was integral in Tottenham Hotspur’s league campaign last season.
After joining the North London outfit last season, the Argentine garnered attention for his defensive abilities. While naming his favourite defenders from the past, he also named former Red Javier Mascherano as someone he studied.
As of today, Romero believes that Van Dijk is the best defender in the Premier League today. The 31-year-old Dutchman, since his time at Liverpool, has gone from strength to strength and has often been termed as the best defender in the world in the modern age.
“Today, the best defender for me is Virgil van Dijk, always, and Lisandro Martinez from Manchester United. For me, they are the best in the Premier League.”
Romero additionally named Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United as one of the best defenders in the Premier League. Virgil, on the other hand, has been proving himself on the highest stage for quite a while now.
Is Van Dijk the Best Premier League defender?
At the peak of his powers in 2019, van Dijk ranked second in the iconic Ballon d’Or rankings, with Lionel Messi winning the award. The Dutchman played a crucial role in the Reds winning the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League the following season in 2020.
It is natural to see his counterparts from different teams idolise the former Celtic man. As someone who not only is just a solid figure in the backline, but also a commanding player who can take on the Captain’s armband as and when the situation demands.
An ACL tear in September 2020 saw him sit out of the rest of the season back then. Since his return to the team prior to the 2021 season, Van Dijk has looked like a shadow of himself, to say the least.
The team’s performances also reflect the same, as one of the most influential members of the Starting XI has not looked the same as he was a year or two ago. Slowly but surely, Liverpool fans hope to see the old Virgil soon. The Reds’ last game against Ajax saw glimpses of brilliance from Van Dijk, and fingers crossed, it is the start of a new beginning for him.
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There is a long season ahead for the Reds and there is just enough time for the Reds to come back into form and turn around the season. Similar for Van Dijk as well, who is going through a tough patch in terms of form, and hopefully, we see him back at his 100% quickly.
